Healthy Fried Veggies?

Fried foods have always been a big concern for healthy eaters. We hear about the liabilities of saturated fatty acids almost every day! Well, depending on how you prepare, it can actually be a healthy meal, although still higher in calories. Good fats like those found in olive oil, may help prevent heart disease, and research shows that certain polyunsaturated fats may be beneficial as well. Also, it may be a good way to vary the flavor of your veggies intake. Here is a great recipe by Martha Shulman and John Ash.

Chick Pea Batter Fried Vegetables
Servings: 6 people
For the batter:

- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
- 1 cup warm water

For the vegetables:

- 1 bunch or part of 1 bunch broccoli, tops broken into florets, stems peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 3-inch sticks (cut into eights if very thick)
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut in 3-inch long carrot sticks
- 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut in rings or strips
- 1 medium onion, cut in rings
- Canola oil for frying

Sift together the chickpea flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Whisk in the water. If the batter is stiff, add more water. Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.
Steam the broccoli florets and stems for four minutes until just tender. Refresh with cold water, and pat dry.
Heat 3 or 4 inches of canola oil in a wok, frying pan or deep fryer to between 360 degrees and 375 degrees. It’s important that the oil be hot enough that the vegetables will cook quickly without absorbing much oil. Use a deep-fry thermometer, and make sure to bring the oil back up to temperature between batches. Whisk the batter, which will have separated. Working in batches so that you don’t crowd the pan, dip the vegetables in the batter to coat thoroughly, and carefully place in the hot oil. It should take less than two minutes to achieve a golden brown crust. Carefully remove from the oil using a deep-fry skimmer, tongs or a spider, and drain on paper towels, then transfer to a baking sheet. Keep warm in a 200-degree oven while you continue to cook the remaining vegetables. Serve once all the vegetables have been cooked.

Source: NYTimes.com

No More Junk Food at School

The Obama administration will begin a drive this week to expel Pepsi, French fries and Snickers bars from the nation’s schools in hopes of reducing the number of children who get fat during their school years.

In legislation, soon to be introduced, candy and sugary beverages would be banned and many schools would be required to offer more nutritious fare.
Junk food has long been banned from official school breakfast and lunch programs, but many schools offer fatty foods and sweets outside of these programs or have vending machines with sodas and candy. The legislation would require that all school offerings comply with strict new nutritional guidelines.

According to The Times, many schools have already changed their offerings. Five years ago, fewer than a third of the nation’s school districts put limits on students’ access to candy and sugary drinks. That share jumped to two-thirds by 2008, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: NYTimes.com

How you Feed your Kids Makes a Huge Difference!

Dr. Alan Greene, a famous pediatrician advocate of environmentally conscious parenting, launched a book about nutrition for babies. According to him, "Whether you care about green or not, how you feed your baby makes a huge difference. Babies are built out of food. How you feed them early on not only affects the foods they like, but it will turn on and off certain genes that will affect their metabolic rate, how much weight they’re likely to gain, how they handle blood sugar and cholesterol, how likely they are to get diabetes or heart disease and the quantity of food that will satisfy them. All of that is determined in the early years."
This is not new information, but so often forgotten by parents!

Click here to read his interview for the New York Times.